Riding-saddle



(No Model.)

0. W. BEARD 81; G. P. GRUMMETT. RIDING SADDLE.

No. 436,471. Patented Sept. 16, 1890.

3140mm: Charles TTFearJ.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. BEARD AND GEORGE F. ORUMMETT, OF ACADEMY, \VEST VIRGINIA.

RIDING-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,471, dated September 16, 1890.

Application filed March 22, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES W. BEARD and GEORGE F. ORUMMETT, citizens of the United States, residing at Academy, in the county of Pocahontas and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Saddle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in the means for connecting the ends of saddle-girths; and the objects of the invention are to provide a means for securely mainiaining the saddle upon the back of the animal regardless of whether the girth has been sufficiently tightened or not, and to prevent any longitudinal movement of the saddle and obviate the employment of the breast-strap and orupper.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the girth that the rider may relieve the tension of the girth, and when threatened by danger, as the horse shying or pitching, can immediately tighten said girth.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly 7 pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a saddle constructed in accordance with our invention, the jockey and saddle-skirt being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the skirt being raised. Fig. 3 is a transverse section in front of the girth. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the hanger-plates, a section of the girth-straps, and the keeper.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 represents an ordinary saddle-tree, which at opposite sides is provided with shallow recesses 2, in each of which is located metallic hanging plates 3, secured by rivets 4 to the tree. The plate 3 has its lower portion provided with an opening 5, closed at its lower end by a transverse bar 6.

The girth-strap 7 is doubled upon itself and one end passed through the opening 5, so that the two straps are suspended in the metal hanging plates at each side of the saddle-tree, and below said plates the straps are inolosed by a keeper or band 8. The outer Serial No. 344,955. (No model.)

end of the girth-strap has a link 9, and in the same is loosely hung the stirrup-strap 10, said stirrup-strap being passed through the usual opening 11, formed in the skirt 12, which opening is covered by the jockey 13. The transverse bars 6 of each of the hanging plates are provided with small rollers 14, so that the girth-straps are each adapted to ride with facility over the transverse bars.

If desired, the inner ends of the girth-straps may be connected directly with the ends of the girth 15, and where a breast-strap and crupperare employed such Will be the case. In the present instance, however,I have provided an arrangement which obviates the use of both the breast-strap and crupper, which arrangement I will now proceed to describe.

From the opposite rear sides of the saddletree there depend opposite forwardly'-disposed inclined strap-sections 16, the ends of which are bent upon each other to form loops and engage a ring 17, and from said ring there declines to the rear a short strap-section 18. The two straps 18 are designed to be connected by a rear girth 19, the ends of which are provided with buckles 20 for engaging the openings of said straps. In the present instance the main girth-strap section is comparatively short, and has its lower inner end bent to form a loop which engages a ring 21, similar to the ring 17 and the two rings 21 and 17 at each side of the saddle are connected by a regulating-strap 22. The rings 21 are each provided with a continuation of the girth-strap 23.

When the two sets of girth-straps are connected by their respective girths, it will be apparent that the animal will be embraced at each side of his thickest portion, so that any longitudinal movement of the saddle upon his back will be obviated. In this manner the necessity of the presence of either a breaststrap or orupper ceases, and a more comfortable harness for the animal is formed.

It is well known among horsemen that there is a tendency upon the part of animals to expand themselves at the time of tightening the girth, which expansion subsequently disappears; also, that after eating or drinking considerable trouble is found in drawing the girth sufliciently tight to prevent its subsequent loosening. Such loosening renders accidents liable by the turning of the saddle upon the back, and oftentimes a slight shy or rearing of the animal is sufficient when the saddle is in such condition to throw the rider, who would otherwise have been enabled to maintain his seat.

By our invention it will be apparent that the weight'of the person in the stirrups, or even in one stirrup, will have the effect of drawing the stirrup-strap down, and the same being connected at its opposite end to the girth-strap loosely mounted over the rollers will serve to transfer the strain to the girth strap or straps, and thus tighten said girth upon the body of the animal. A rider instinctively braces himself or throws his weight into the stirrups whenever his horse shies or plunges, even though previous to said plung ing the girth may have been comparatively loose, and in this manner just at the time that a tight girth is most required the same is secured.

In employing our invention the stirrupstraps are set somewhat highersay a half inch or morethan the rider usually employs them, so that after they have become lengthened by the weight of the rider they will be about the proper length. It will be apparent, also, that when standing in the stirrups the jar caused by the gait of the animal will be consumed to a great extent, in that the girth-straps will loosely ride back and forth over the rollers.

If desired, the keeper 8, encircling the girthstraps, may be omitted, as it is not essential to the operation of the invention, though it is advantageous to the construction, in that it maintains terminals of the short girth-straps together and in line with the hanger-plate and its roller, whereby said straps are not liable to bind therein against the sides of the plate. They also serve the function of stops, against which the rings 12 abut, and thus the pressure upon the horse in mounting and dismounting is to an extent limited.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a saddle, the combination, with the saddle-tree provided with the opposite depend ing hanger-plates, the, girth passed through said plates and depending from the sides of the tree, and the stirrup-straps connected to the ends thereof, of the rear girth connected to the saddle, and an adjustable regulatingstrap connectingthe same with the front girth, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a saddle-tree having opposite hanger-plates, of a girth-strap mounted in each of said hanger-plates and so as to ride therein, said straps being doubled upon themselves and having their terminals depending at each side of the plates, a rear pair of girth-straps connected to the rear sides of the saddle, rings mounted in the ends of the rear girth-straps and the inner ends of the front girth -straps, a connecting regulatingstrap having its ends engaging the rings, depending girth-strap sections connected to the rings, front and rear girths having their ends adj ustably connected with the girth-strap sections, andstirrup-straps mounted in links located in the outer ends of the front pair of girth-strap sections, substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto aflixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. BEARD. GEORGE F. CRUMMETT. Witnesses:

O. W. ESKRIDGE, E. H. MooRE. 

